Coronavirus pandemic: OPPI says pharma supply chain disruption easing, companies have stock for 2-3 months

The disruption to the manufacturing and supply chain of the pharmaceutical industry owing to the coronavirus lockdown is gradually easing, but the situation is still not normal, the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) said.

The industry body also said there is no shortage of medicines, as its members have enough stock for about two to three months.

"Nobody anticipated a complete lockdown. That resulted in quite a bit of a challenge for the manufacturing sector because workers were not reporting for duty. Even if they are willing to work, they are not allowed to go to the factories. And that was a big challenge," KG Ananthakrishnan, Director General of OPPI, told Moneycontrol in a telephonic interview.

"With the help of the Central and state governments, local administration and enforcement agencies, we are able to gradually improve the situation. We also assured that we will take care of all the requirements like social distancing norms and personnel protection of our workers. Slowly but surely we are seeing manufacturing units coming back to normalcy," Ananthakrishnan said.

India imposed a 21-day lockdown which will end on April 14. Though the government exempted essential services like medicines from the lockdown, lack of coordination between various government agencies led to manufacturing and supply chain disruptions.

OPPI, along with other industry bodies such as Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA), has been working with the government to help pharma supply chain function.

Ananthakrishnan said along with disruption of distribution chain due to workers not turning up at warehouses, there are also problems faced at ports and airports. OPPI represents multinational drug companies.

"Many of our member companies import vaccines, anti-cancer drugs, insulin and some active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). These products got stuck at ports and airports. We have sought the intervention of the Central and state governments and port authorities. But the situation still needs some improvement," he said.

No immediate shortages

"What I pick from our members is that the supply of key starting materials (KSMs) and APIs from China has resumed. Some of our members have received consignments, we could be able to tide over the situation in about two to three months," Ananthakrishnan observed.

"But let us accept the reality in a country as large as India, there are places where some product is not available because of logistic and supply chain issues. Slowly, with things opening up, medicines should start reaching these remote areas," he noted.

Ananthakrishnan said some OPPI members have gone out of the way to deliver medicines to patients by speaking to their doctors, despite supply chain disruption.

The organisation says its members are working on developing vaccines and drugs against COVID-19. Around 80 drug and vaccine development projects are underway.

"Our members are screening their libraries to find compounds to treat COVID-19. We will continue to engage with all of our members to see how we can try and work towards getting whatever therapies or modalities that are there to India as early as possible, but these are too early days," Ananthakrishnan said.